Container interconnect

ABSTRACT

The container interconnect has a hollow male component installed on the floor steel panel of a container. A corresponding hollow female component is installed on the roof panel. Aligned and stacked containers automatically interconnect via the container interconnect because the container interconnect has a flange, seal and quick release fastener enabling the device to be self guiding, self connecting, self sealing, self fastening, self releasing, and self contained. Moreover, the container interconnect is rust proof. The purpose of the container interconnect is to provide a common airflow through a column of interconnected shipping containers. Air interconnects from multiple columns of the shipping containers can be joined, the collective airflow being suctioned to the interconnect on the top container, which interconnect is connected to an air analyzer wherein the common air of all the containers is analyzed for contraband, explosives, and the like.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/202,506, filed Mar. 5, 2009.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to shipping containers, and particularly to a container interconnect for connecting the air space in shipping containers together, e.g., for performing inspection of shipping containers stacked together for transport.

2. Description of the Related Art

Due to security concerns with respect to potential dangerous cargo effluents and the like. Ship containers usually go through some sort of cursory inspection at the port. The main concern is that some terrorist organization may smuggle dangerous incendiary devices, bombs and the like into a port of entry, and that the contraband would go unnoticed by the inspection team at the port. Thus, currently ship containers need to be physically inspected by opening each container through its door. It would be highly desirable to discover a new way to inspect the ship containers without the onerous requirement of inspecting each container by opening its doors.

Thus, a container interconnect solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The container interconnect has a hollow female component installed on the roof steel panel of a container. A corresponding hollow male component is installed on the floor panel. Aligned and stacked containers automatically interconnect via the container interconnect because the container interconnect has a flange, seal and quick release fastener enabling the device to be self-guiding, self-connecting, self-sealing, self-fastening, self-releasing, and self-contained. Moreover, the container interconnect is made of a corrosion resistant material for durability in humid environs. The purpose of the container interconnect is to provide a common airflow through a column of interconnected shipping containers. Air interconnects from multiple columns of the shipping containers can be joined, the collective airflow being suctioned to the interconnect on the top container, the top interconnect being connected to an air analyzer so that the common air of all the containers is analyzed for contraband, explosives, and the like.

These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a container interconnect according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded partial side view in section of the container interconnect according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial side view in section of the container interconnect according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the container interconnect according to the present invention, broken away and partially in section.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view broken away and partially in section to more clearly show support ribs of the container interconnect according to the present invention.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the container interconnect 10 has a hollow flanged annular male probe component 14 (optionally divisible into a lower threadable portion which retains boot 18 and an upper threadable portion which retains grill mesh 42) installed on the floor steel panel 20 of a container 12. A corresponding hollow annular female vapor port component 16 is installed on the roof panel 22 via attachment flange 21. Both male probe 14 and female vapor port 16 have radially extending structural support ribs 401. The female vapor port 16 has an optionally threadable upper body portion 160 a defining an aperture and an optionally threadable lower body portion 160 b having structural support ribs 401 extending radially inward to a cylindrical piston guide concentrically aligned with the aperture in the upper body portion 160 a. The female vapor port 16 may have a perforated plate, a mesh, or other air filter extending between the ribs 401 the piston guide, and the lower body portion 160 b. The vapor port probe 14 is defined by an annular ring body member having similar parallel peripheral flanges 21 for mounting to a container and structural support ribs 401 extending radially inward therefrom to support a cylindrical seal plate contact plunger 40 that applies pressure to the seal plate 33 when a cargo container equipped with the probe 14 is aligned on top of a cargo container equipped with the female vapor port 16.

Aligned and stacked containers 12 automatically interconnect via the container interconnect 10 because the container interconnect flange, seal and quick release fastener enables the device to be self-guiding, self-connecting, self-sealing, self-fastening, self-releasing, and self-contained. It should be understood that when aligned containers 12 are stacked, the probe 14 pushes down against spring-biased seal plate 33, causing the seal plate 33 to retract into an open position.

The spring bias against seal 33 is produced by contact of piston 36 extending from the seal plate 33 with helical spring 28, which is housed in the piston guide and is concentrically disposed around the piston shaft. A shoulder defined on the piston shaft bears against the top end of the spring 28. The spring 28 normally biases the seal plate 33 to a closed position, sealing the aperture defined in the upper body portion 160 a, as shown in FIG. 2. The seal plate 33 may have a peripheral lip defining a central disk portion of the seal plate 33 that is slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of the aperture defined by the upper body portion 160 a, the lip forming a close seal to the upper body portion 160 a below the aperture. When the plunger 40 of the male probe 14 bears against the seal plate 33, spring 28 is compressed and the seal plate 33 is pushed downward to permit air in the container to flow past the seal plate 33 through the aperture in the upper body portion 160 a, through the hollow vent probe 14 and perforations in a plate or air grill 42 in the vent probe 14, as shown in FIG. 3.

The vent probe 14 has a flexible portion forming a boot 18 surrounding the plunger 40 that fits into a boot retaining channel 30 defined in the top surface of the upper body portion 160 a of the female vent port 16 to seal air within the hollow portion of the assembly 10. Air grill mesh 42 of the probe 14 allows for air to travel from the hollow port 16 of the lower container through the probe 14 of the upper container stacked on top of the lower container. The process is repeated for all stacked containers 12 until all air in all of the containers is eventually co-mingled.

Moreover, the container interconnect is made of a corrosion resistant material for durability in humid environs. The purpose of the container interconnect is to provide a common airflow through a column of interconnected shipping containers. Air interconnects from multiple columns of the shipping containers can be joined, the collective airflow being suctioned to the interconnect on the top container, the top interconnect being connected to an air analyzer operated by an inspector I, wherein the common air of all the containers is analyzed for contraband, explosives, and the like.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A container interconnect for connecting air space in containers stacked for transport, the container interconnect comprising: a vapor port adapted for installation in a roof of a first cargo container; a spring-biased retractable port seal plate formed within the vapor port; a vapor port probe adapted for attachment to the floor of a second cargo container, the probe contacting and retracting the port seal of the first cargo container when the second cargo container is stacked on the roof of the first cargo container in order to connect air space in the first container with air space in the second container to permit inspection of the air space in both containers simultaneously.
 2. The container interconnect according to claim 1, wherein said vapor port has an upper body portion defining an aperture and a lower body portion having a plurality of support ribs extending radially inward and a piston guide supported by the ribs, the piston guide being concentrically aligned with the aperture in the upper body portion.
 3. The container interconnect according to claim 2, further comprising an air permeable medium permitting air to flow from internal space of the first cargo container through the vapor port aperture into a hollow portion of the vapor port.
 4. The container interconnect according to claim 2, wherein said vapor port seal plate comprises a disk having a piston extending therefrom, the disk having a diameter slightly smaller than the aperture defined in the upper body portion in order to seal the aperture in a closed position.
 5. The container interconnect according to claim 4, wherein said vapor port seal plate further comprises a lip extending around said disk, the lip forming a seal against said upper body portion in the closed position.
 6. The container interconnect according to claim 4, wherein said vapor port comprises a helical spring disposed in the piston guide and concentrically disposed around a portion of said piston, the spring bearing against said piston to bias the seal plate in a closed position sealing the seal plate against the aperture in the upper body portion to prevent airflow through the port, the spring being compressible to retract the seal plate away from the aperture in an open position to permit airflow through the port when said probe bears against the seal plate.
 7. The container interconnect according to claim 2, wherein said vapor port further comprises parallel flanges extending peripherally about the upper and lower body portions, the flanges being adapted for securely attaching said vapor port to the roof of the container.
 8. The container interconnect according to claim 1, wherein said vapor port probe has an annular ring body member having parallel flanges extending peripherally from the body member, the flanges being adapted for securely attaching said vapor port probe to the floor of the container.
 9. The container interconnect according to claim 8, wherein said vapor port probe further comprises a plunger and a plurality of support ribs extending radially inward from the annular ring body member to the plunger, the plunger bearing against the seal plate of said vapor port when the second cargo container is stacked atop the first cargo container with said probe aligned with said port, retracting the seal plate to permit airflow through said port and said probe.
 10. The container interconnect according to claim 9, further comprising an air permeable material extending between said annular body member, said plunger, and said plurality of ribs, the air permeable material permitting airflow through said probe.
 11. The container interconnect according to claim 9, further comprising an air impermeable, annular flexible boot from said annular ring body member around said plunger.
 12. The container interconnect according to claim 11, wherein said vapor port has a boot retaining channel defined therein, said boot seating in the channel to form an air seal between said probe and said vapor port when the first and second cargo container are stacked with said probe aligned with said port.
 13. A stack of cargo containers, each of the containers comprising an enclosure for carrying cargo having a floor and a roof, each of the containers having: a vapor port installed in the roof of the container, the vapor port having a spring-biased retractable port seal plate formed therein for opening and closing the port; and a hollow vapor port probe attached to the floor of the container, the probe contacting and retracting the port seal plate to open the port of the container immediate below when the containers are stacked with the probes aligned with the vapor ports so that air in the containers is intermixed, permitting inspection of the air in each of the containers by accessing the vapor port in the container atop the stack. 